Chapter 1 The contract

The rain poured heavily the night my life changed forever.

I stood in front of the massive glass building, my hands trembling as I clutched the phone in my palm. The city lights reflected on the wet road, mocking me with their brightness while my world was crumbling. My mother's face kept flashing in my mind-pale, weak, lying on the hospital bed, hooked to machines that beeped relentlessly.

"Room 1209," the message had said.

I took a shaky breath and stepped inside. The lobby smelled faintly of polished wood and expensive leather. Every step I took echoed in the silence, making my heart race even faster. Two hours ago, the doctor had looked at me with pity, his eyes softening as he delivered the impossible news.

"Your mother needs the surgery immediately. If the payment isn't made in forty-eight hours..."

He didn't need to finish the sentence. I already knew. Forty-eight hours. No money. No miracle.

And then the call came. A stranger. A proposal. A contract marriage.

I still couldn't believe it, but the voice on the other end had been calm, confident, almost cold.

"One year," he had said. "No love. No feelings. No questions. I cover your mother's medical expenses in full."

My hands shook as I held the contract, wondering if I was dreaming-or if this was the cruelest reality I had ever faced.

The elevator doors opened, and there he was.

Tall. Cold. Dangerous. Handsome in a way that made my stomach twist uncomfortably. His eyes were sharp, calculating, unreadable. Every movement he made was precise, as though he controlled everything around him-including me.

"Sit," he commanded, pointing to the chair opposite him.

I obeyed, though every fiber of my body wanted to run.

He slid the document across the table. The words seemed to burn into my eyes: "One-year marriage. No love. No questions. Hospital bills paid in full."

My heart pounded like a drum.

I swallowed hard. "And if I refuse?" I asked, my voice trembling.

His gaze didn't waver. Dark. Unforgiving. "Then you walk away," he said quietly. "And your mother dies."

The silence that followed was deafening. I stared at the contract as though it were a monster, one that demanded my life, my heart, my dignity.

Tears burned my eyes. I thought about the nights my mother had stayed awake, worrying about me, about our little apartment, about bills we couldn't afford. The surgery was expensive-far beyond what we had-and without it, she would not survive.

I picked up the pen with trembling fingers.

"I'll sign," I whispered.

As the ink touched the paper, I felt a strange mix of fear, guilt, and determination. I had just sold my freedom... but I had saved my mother's life.

He leaned back slightly, his expression unchanged. "Good. That was a wise decision."

I wanted to hate him. To scream. To run. But I couldn't. I was trapped in this golden cage of necessity, and the key was in his hands.

"I... I need to know what comes next," I managed to say, my voice barely audible.

"Live with me," he said. "As my wife. Act like a wife. You follow the rules. One year. That is all."

Rules. One year. That's all.

I nodded. What other choice did I have?

He finally left, closing the door behind him with a quiet click that made my heart jump. Alone, I sank onto the bed, clutching my suitcase like it was the last piece of my old life.

I didn't know how I would survive in this mansion, with a man I barely knew, under rules that felt more like chains. My mind kept replaying his sharp eyes, the way he seemed to see right through me. There was something about him... something that felt dangerous, yet intriguing.

Hours passed. I unpacked quietly, trying to make the room feel like home. But the emptiness was overwhelming. The silence of the mansion was deafening, broken only by the occasional distant sound of footsteps or a door closing somewhere far away.

When evening came, he appeared again, as sudden as he had left. "Dinner," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

I followed him to a large dining hall. The table was set for two, though I suspected he ate alone most nights. He ate first, without speaking, his eyes occasionally glancing toward me, watching.

I picked at my food nervously, unsure if I should talk or remain silent.

"You will get used to this," he said finally. "This arrangement. You will understand why I do things my way. But if you break the rules..." His voice dropped slightly, just enough to make me shiver.

I swallowed, nodding silently.

That night, I lay in the enormous bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. Thoughts of my mother, the contract, and Mr. Adrian filled my mind. Something told me that this year would be more than just a test of survival-it would test my heart, my courage, and my ability to navigate a world I had never known.

I didn't know it yet, but the man who had seemed so cold and unapproachable already held a power over me that went beyond the contract. And somewhere deep inside, I felt the dangerous pull of curiosity, a part of me wanting to understand the man behind the sharp eyes.

Sleep finally came, but it brought no comfort. Only dreams of a life where this contract didn't exist-a life that now felt like a distant memory.

Tomorrow, I would meet the rules of this mansion head-on. Tomorrow, my new life would begin.

And tomorrow... I would realize that surviving this contract might be easier than surviving the feelings I was already starting to have for Mr. Adrian.